Recruit-A-Friend

The Recruit-A-Friend program is a referral system, through which players can recruit friends or family members into World of Warcraft. When a player chooses to recruit someone, the recruit is emailed an activation key for a 10-day trial account. Accounts created through this referral become "linked" with the recruiter's account for 90 days. If the trial account is upgraded to a paid subscription, both the recruiter and the recruit gain benefits when they play World of Warcraft together.

If both characters are not within 3 levels of each other, only the lower-level character will gain extra experience.

Recruit characters gain one "grantable" level for every two levels earned (up to 30 levels). Recruit characters may then grant these levels to the recruiter's lower-level characters.

The character receiving the levels must be lower than the granter's level, and below level 80[1] (was level 60).

Time-independent rewards

The recruiter receives a 30-day game credit for each recruit who upgrades to a paid subscription.

The recruiter receives a special mount after the recruit pays for at least 60 days of game time. Currently this mount is an [Obsidian Nightwing]; before July 16, 2012, the recruiter received a

X-53 Touring Rocket was originally the second special mount that players could earn only through the Recruit-A-Friend program. The X-53 was available to players who claimed their RAF reward between April 27, 2010 and July 15, 2012. It replaced the [Swift Zhevra] reward, and was then replaced by the [Heart of the Nightwing].

In Patch 5.4.1, the Recruit-A-Friend program was updated to include a choice of one mount from all current and previous Recruit-A-Friend mounts, and one companion from Asian-only promotions.

The X-53 is one of only two flying mounts available in the game that allow for multiple passengers. It originally scaled to match the speed of your fastest owned mount, up to 310% flight speed.

The X-53 is likely based off the X-52 rocket located in Area 52, Netherstorm.

Using this mount players who don't have cold weather flying can get the explorer achievement with some help from a friend.

Summoning this mount triggers the global cooldown, unlike most other mounts.

As of Patch 4.0.1 the rocket can now be ridden as a ground mount in no fly zones at 100% ground speed.

As of Patch 5.0.# with the release of Account Wide Mounts, Recruit-A-Friend mounts WILL NOT be Account bound, despite being Account bound in the Beta and Patch 5.0.4 PTR this is a bug and they will not be Account Bound.[2]

Previous X-53 Touring Rocket mount

Time is running out for those who wish to claim their Zhevra, as the launch of the X-53 Touring Rocket is now scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, April 27! If you’ve fulfilled all of the Recruit-A-Friend requirements necessary to claim a mount now but choose not to claim the Zhevra, you will be able to claim the X-53 Touring Rocket instead once it launches. Sounds like they’re firing it up for a final test run now....

Beginning in just a few days, players who participate in the Recruit-A-Friend program will receive a whole new reward for showing a friend the ropes in Azeroth: the X-53 Touring Rocket, a two-seater flying mount that automatically increases its speed as your mount skill improves (up to 310% speed if you already have a 310% mount). The X-53 will be replacing the current Zhevra mount reward, which is retiring from the Recruit-A-Friend business after a good run. If you've already claimed a Zhevra (or claim one prior to the change), you’ll be able to hang on to it, of course. We’ll have more details on the new Recruit-A-Friend mount once it becomes available.

Original news announcement

With the new Recruit-A-Friend program, you can earn an exclusive Zhevra mount, receive a FREE month of game time, and gain access to other exciting in-game benefits. From the moment your friend creates a character and starts playing, you'll both earn triple the experience when grouped together and have the ability to summon one another from anywhere in the world. Also, for every two levels of experience your friend earns, they can grant one level of experience to one of your lower-level characters.

References

^Vrakthris 2012-07-16. #3 - Is the new RAF mount Account Wide?. Official Support > Customer Support forum (US). No, the rewards from the Recruit a Friend promotion are specific to the character that receives it. We have received word that the current plan is that these mounts will remain specific to a character and not be made account wide.